Best UK Online Casinos

09/11/2012

The United Kingdom has had a long standing love affair with wagering. There were 10,000 betting shops that opened within six months of their legalization on 1 May 1961. In 2005, the Gambling Act then paved the way for bigger, resort-style casinos, albeit this was in a much more controlled manner; one new construction taking place every few years up until the Act was fully implemented. Today, all varieties of online gambling are now licensed by the Gambling Commission and consequently, it can be legally offered throughout the country. The UK Gambling Act, passed in 2007, allows UK residents to freely gamble online. Online casinos seeking to advertise within the UK, however, must hold a license to do so from a recognized jurisdiction.

When searching for the best UK online casinos you may well discover that many online casino sites hold offshore gaming licenses. The reason for this is quite simple really. Taxes in the UK, after the Gambling Act of 2005 was enacted, were too high. A 15% tax rate was simply too costly to allow operators to sustain regular business. Furthermore, because the Gambling Act was enacted prior to the onset of internet gambling, casino licenses are only awarded to land-based establishments. Consequently, online casino operators need to be based offshore and operate according to the legal requirements of the host country. As a result, you will note that many of the best UK online casinos hold gaming licenses in such popular jurisdictions as Alderney, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Cyprus, Netherlands Antilles, Antigua and Barbuda and Kahnawake (Canada). While a number of these casinos are ?white listed? and therefore legally entitled to advertise within the UK, some are not. The important thing to understand when choosing the best UK online casinos is that, as a player, it is completely legal for you to join in the fun and place your wagers. Below is a list of what we here at OnlineVegas.com consider to be the very best of the best UK online casinos.